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Independent Watson seeking U.S. Senate seat

Written by Wauneta Breeze

Thursday, 16 October 2014 00:00

Editor’s Note:There are two candidates running for U.S. Senate as Independent candidates. Both made campaign stops in Imperial this election season. This is the second of two stories on the Independent candidates.

By Russ Pankonin

The Imperial Republican

Lincoln native Todd Watson of Omaha admits to being a political junkie. And a Husker, through and through.

In the mid- to late 1990’s, he worked for 2nd District Congressman Jon Christensen. The Republican Party meant everything to Watson.

He still admires the Republican party on the local level. But as far as he’s concerned, the Republican Party is rotten to the core at the national level.

That’s why Watson left the party and is running as an Independent for the U.S. Senate.

With the retirement of Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraskans will send a new U.S. Senator back to Washington next year.

Ben Sasse won a highly contested Republican Primary with David Domina advancing as the Democratic candidate.

Watson and Jim Jenkins of Callaway both got on the General Election ballot as Independents by gathering the needed signatures (4,000) from across the state.

Started four businesses

Watson studied to be a certified public accountant and put those skills to use, starting four new businesses. He sold two and is now focused on real estate.

He manages more than 2,500 apartments and runs an online apartment site that rents properties in 28 states called rentping.com.

Lifelong conservative

Watson said he’s a lifelong conservative and abhors the kind of spending that goes on in Washington.

He said there’s lots to like about the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party, except the fact they won’t seek to compromise.

One thing Watson said he won’t compromise on is God’s moral code. God’s moral code provides the compass that guides him, Watson said.

After that, everything for him in Washington would be negotiable.

Ultimately, everything is decided by God, he said. “We are just a voice.”

Watson decried the lack of cooperation in Congress.

“For the last 15 to 20 years, there’s been no spine to make the tough decisions,” he said.

Instead, Congress has pandered to its donors, corporations and Wall Street.

He believes the Obama administration has been a disaster for the country in such areas as foreign policy, health care and overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Watson said the U.S. needs to wean itself off foreign oil. That’s why he believes it’s important to complete the Keystone XL pipeline.

He said the U.S. military has to play the role of a police force to keep international shipping lanes open to bring in that foreign oil.

He believes the pipeline would also free up rail transportation so more of America’s farm commodities could get to market.

As Nebraska’s senator, Watson said he’d vote for what’s right for the state and the country.

He said he can make the tough decisions. “I will provide Nebraska with honest representation,” he said, and will be ready to take on Wall Street and Big Oil.

He said his business background as a CPA gives him unique insight to the tax system and its need for reform.

He added his entourage of advisors are people from Nebraska, not outside consultants that come and go with each election.

In fact, his campaign manager, Alan Kaiser of Lincoln, holds strong ties to Imperial, having grown up here.